Since my last blog post, a few things have happened.  We've bought and sold a house, Abigail graduated preschool, became a big Kindergartener and has now moved on to 1st grade.  Katherine is now in her last year as a preschooler, and is loving her new friends in Katy. 

Abigail has participated in gymnastics, theater camp, sleepaway camp weekends with mom, and swim team.  Katherine has been enjoying gymnastics, swim lessons and preschool day camp.  And of course, when you have a pool in your new backyard, all you need are friends to come play...which is what we do most of the time.

So, here they are starting school this year.

Katherine is growing like a weed, and is more tan in this photo than I've ever been in my whole life. 

Here's Abigail in her new room meeting her teacher, Mrs. Ducran, for the first tiime.  Abigail just LOVES LOVES LOVES school.  Her favorite days though are Tuesdays when she's pullled out for her gifted/talented class.  It's the one day she really is challenged - she needs it and loves it!  I'm looking forward to the field trip - an archeological dig!  

I'm going to do my best to keep up with blogging, maybe once a week.  I'd love to have a better diary of our life, and this is a great way to save those memories.  No promises...but I'm hoping to get back in the swing. 

SANTA!

Last week, Santa visited the kids at Abigail and Katherine's preschool, so it was the perfect opportunity to check him out for free. In years past, I've paid to have the terrible mall photos of my children with Santa. Of the 6 times I've been to the mall Santa, there have been tears more times than not. So, even though the whole family had been talkin' Santa up, we just weren't sure how Katherine would react when face to face with the jolly one.

I was so proud of sweet Katherine. She did a great job. She walked and Abigail ran...to climb up into his lap. They both told him what they wanted for Christmas. And thankfully not one tear was shed. One more milestone down....

And for those of your keeping score, Katherine told Santa she wants "swan palace princesses" and Abigail wants a "fur-real friend". I have it on good authority that they will both be getting their Christmas wish.

Now if we can only wait for Christmas....which is like a lifetime when you are almost 3 and 5. :)

Merry Christmas!

Well miracles do happen!

Katherine had never seen snow. Last year, little flakes fell, and that was fun, but Katherine slept thru it. Abigail and I went outside to play in it, but it was short lived. Nothing stuck and it was over almost as quickly as it began.

This year, the snow was great. It stuck to the ground and the kids were actually able to have a snowball fight.

As Katherine quickly discovered, snow is cold. And when fingers get cold enough, they hurt. She didn't make it long. But Abigail must have sensed how big of a deal it was. She could have stayed out there all day. She soaked it all up!

Could we fit more stuff in one week?

So, the week before Abigail's birthday, all of our renovation projects came crashing down upon us at once. We hired the same company to do install engineered hardwoods downstairs and new tile upstairs in our master bathroom. We also planned to have our roof replaced after some hail damage. Thanks to the weather and everyone's schedule, they all showed up at once. The first day, it was just he wood flooring guys...then the next day the roofers arrived just in time for Katherine's nap...and just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the tile guys showed up. Luckily that was the worst day....but it was the loudest and craziest 4 days. The results are beautiful though...well worth the trouble.

Ketchup

Ok, so clearly, I have some ketchin' up to do....

We have had a very busy fall...I just don't know where the time has gone.

For Halloween, we went to the fair at Abigail and Katherine's preschool. It was packed with families. I guess everyone wanted to jump in the bounce houses, ride the train and try to win the cake walk. We had a good time, but the girls had the best time trick or treating with their best friends Kayla and Meghan.

Abigail chose to be a vet, and of course, her favorite bear Snowball, was in tow for the night. And Katherine chose Pocahontas. It would have been a perfect evening had it not been for the over excited toddler who fell in the street 3 times, scraping her knees terribly. It's just so hard NOT to run!

Tomorrow...remodeling (in preparation to put our house on the market).

Sorry I've been MIA....

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Somehow the end of the summer and beginning of school made life in the Martin household a little overwhelming. So here's a quick recap. Both girls started preschool in August. I was so impressed how great Katherine did. This was her first day of any kind of school program, and she didn't shed a tear. They were so excited about their first day, they were holding hands and skipping. But before then, we did lots of playing this summer with friends and family. We do a lot with MOMS Club, and of course we try to see Jackson and Mason (Brooke's boys) as often as possible. Here they are after raiding the dress up box. The boys love all the princess stuff, but they complain about the lack of boy dress up in the Martin home. Sorry boys....

Another big milestone in our home was the introduction of Snowball #2. As you can see, the original Snowball has been so well-loved by Abigail that he/she (gender changes regularly) is hardly recognizable. Ouiser found #2 on Ebay and gave it to Abigail in the hopes she would relinquish #1. And you would have thought we were reinacting Sophie's Choice.... Poor, sweet Abigail couldn't speak...she just started crying. The thought of relinquishing #1 was just too painful. Needless to say, they are both living with us.

We also did our fair share of swimming this summer. And while they love swimming in the inflatable in our backyard, we had a great time going to Noah's Ark. It's a huge splashpad and pool that is open to the public. Katherine is off sliding down a slide somewhere. Just like in our backyard, that's all she does. Climb up, slide down, squeal with glee, get up, walk back to stairs, climb up again... over and over and over.... It's equal part hi-larious and equal part cute.

And while I don't have a big story for this photo, I just had to include it. Not only is this a quintesential Katherine face...but the shoes. She's a shoe horse. Loves them all. The fancier the better. Fit is unimportant...as you can clearly see. We were trying on closed toed shoes to wear to school, and she reached over for a pair of size 9 black pumps with 3 inch heels. I think they look good with her Finding Nemo custom dress. :)

Of course what this picture really demonstrates is my inability to keep my 2 yr old on task while trying on shoes. That...and...my friend Robyne's phone takes really good pictures. :)

That's what we did...check back soon for Abigail's birthday...Halloween...new roof...new floors and so much more. :)

We Are THAT Family Too

I'm taking a short break from the San Antonio book...I mean, blog, to share a funny moment with the Martins today.


One of my favorite mommy bloggers is Kristen at http://www.wearethatfamily.com. She bravely shares the trials and tribulations of raising kids...and all of the silliness that entails. So, I thought of her today as my youngest fell flat on her face in the movie theater...and here's why.


So, I got up with the girls this morning...we all got dressed and had breakfast as usual. Also as usual, I chose their matching Gymboree outfits (an addiction, I know...thanks Cheryl). And as usual, I let them choose their footwear. It's a concession I'm willing to make...and they love choosing. So what the heck!


I guess I didn't really pay attention to what Katherine chose because I was too busy suggesting to my eldest that cowboy boots might be hot...and yes, she needed to wear socks...and no, it didn't matter whether they were the same socks or even her own socks since they would be hidden by the boots. You can see why I didn't notice....


The part I didn't notice is that my 2 yr old (God love her pea-pickin' little heart) chose to wear a pair of red sparkly shoes...think Dorothy & The Wizard of Oz. Now, mind you, the child LOVES dress up shoes...so the choice is not all that shocking. However, it is worth mentioning:


1) she has many more comfortable options (hello! 500 degrees outside...sandals)


2) red sparkles made her a little over-dressed for our $1 movie


3) the red in no way matched her outfit I didn't say it wasn't an easy consession for me to make....


4) but the REAL issue was that the shoes belonged to her older sister and were 2 SIZES TOO BIG!!! Oops.


What's sad is that I didn't even really notice until poor, sweet Katherine fell flat on her face after walking clean out of them while trying to keep up with the rest of us.


I'm sure the other moms at the theater were all wondering who allowed that poor child out of the house in those things. Me apparently.


I'm sure this was a Martin kid conspiracy. Abigail was clearly given the job of negotiator and distractor. No wonder Katherine climbed in the car so quickly and willingly. I know their game now. They won't fool me twice. Ok, you're right, but not today.

The Magic Time Machine - A Dining Experience

So after our first night at SeaWorld, we returned to the hotel for a nap...all of us napped. Got up around 4:30 and made a quick call to the restaurant, making a reservation. I just didn't want to take any chances on having to wait for a table...even so early. We got there around 5:30 and were greeted by Mario (as in Mario Brother's video game). He gave the girls balloons (pink of course) and signed them with big happy faces. Then a go-go dancer took us to our table...in a old time walk-in refrigerator/freezer. HA!

The girls loved the bench seat with windows and curtains. They spent most of our dinner bouncing around and looking out at passersby. They hardly ate a thing...they were having way too much fun. And of course, everyone who walked by had to stop to talk to the cute girls in the cooler. We had Austin Powers for a waiter, with Cleopatra as our assistant waiter. Sadly, as you might have guessed, these characters were completely lost on the girls. Next time we go...we will request a princess...I just wasn't thinking.

During our dinner of chicken fingers for the kids and Prime Rib for the adults, the girls got to see other characters including: the most fantastic Capt. Jack Sparrow, Dorothy (Abby's fave), Tinkerbell, Snow White, Ariel and more. We got to retrieve our salad from the bar made from an old car. And our bill was brought to us in a smoking volcano made of styrofoam cups and chocolate syrup. Even Abigail's drink was bubbly and fun. Oh, and I almost forgot...in usual form for the Magic Time Machine...when I ordered my drink, a coke and water, I apparently said it too quickly...and the result that was served to me was a Coke in one glass sitting IN a larger glass of water. Apparently, he "thought" I said coke in water. :) I should have known better.... But it's ok, the girls thought it was so funny, we all passed around the water for sips (Katherine is pictured above doing just that).

All in all, it was a great end to a great day! Next installment, Witte Museum.

We all had a great time! It's just a shame there's not one in Houston.

Around Noon on our first day at SeaWorld we went to the Believe show featuring Shamu. I've seen it before, but that didn't make it any less amazing.

As you can see, Katherine wasn't impressed (I think she was tired and hungry). But Abigail, Scott and I loved the show. We had such fun watching those amazing creatures do such fun tricks. The whales waved, jumped and splashed the front rows.

Abigail was probably a little sad to be outside the "splash zone" (and yes the seats are labeled as such). I, on the otherhand, was happy to remain dry. No need to have wet shoes the rest of the day. At least the stadium was covered, so we got some relief from the sun. And it was a great time to have a quick snack.

After a quick diaper change, we headed back out to find something new and fun...and found just the thing : The Shamu Express. The Shamu Express is the only roller coaster that allows children 42 inches and taller...which means, it was the only one Abigail could ride. So Abigail and I hopped in line while Katherine and Scott waited patiently. Luckily we only had to wait about 2 turns, and you couldn't wipe the smile off Abigail's face. She absolutely loved the roller coaster. And just like a chip off the ole' block, she raised her arms up over her head...not holding on...as the coaster took off!!! We had to ride once more...this time in the front! We held our arms up, screamed and had the best time! One of my favorite memories of the trip...and sadly I have no picture. :(

But by the time we exited the ride, Katherine had had enough. So we headed to the car. Scott, the sucker, was talked into buying a token for each child. :) A quick stop thru the giftshop netted each girl a small stuffed animal. Abigail chose a white Beluga whale in a purse whom she later named Abby. HA! Katherine chose a dolphin who I refer to as Flipper (but Katherine just calls him dolphin).

We were then off to the car for our trunk picnic. It was our answer to not paying so much money for the bad food in the park, but as it turns out, the kids thought it was the coolest thing. They are still talking about it...typical right...just like playing with the packaging on a new toy.

Anyway, we dined on pb&j sandwhiches, chips, grapes, and juiceboxes while the car cooled off. By the time we were ready to go, the car was pretty cool (my best tip to families going this summer). And we headed back to the hotel.

After naptime, we had a fun-filled dinner at The Magic Time Machine.

San Antonio Trip, Part 1

We left Houston on Wednesday after lunch and arrived at the Comfort Suites around 4:00 pm. By the time we took a short tour to find the pool and ice machine, unpacked and got settled, it was time for dinner. We spied an interesting mexican food restaurant at the corner of our street, so we took a quick hike down the street to eat. We had some yummy fajita nachos, cheese enchiladas and chicken flautas and returned to our home-away-from-home for popcorn and pizza. The girls chose Beauty and the Beast. The first photo is of our movie night. :)

In the morning we all overslept thanks to the blackout curtains and Katherine's difficulty sleeping. I think she just would wake up every hour or so with her natural sleep cycle and have to reorient herself each time with where she was. Thankfully she didn't want to play, but it was too frequent for me to put many hours together. But we dressed quickly and grabbed breakfast at the hotel. They had make your own waffles just like in college...mmm. And then it was off to SeaWorld!!!

As it turned out our hotel really was only about 5 minutes away from the park...and on a Thursday before school let out in the area, we were nearly alone. It was fantastic! We headed straight for the horses! HA! The Anheiser Busch clydesdales live there, so we had to check them out. Katherine was so excited, but not so sure about them. Maybe it was their size or just a crabby mood, but she hardly released my leg as we walked thru. Abigail, the fearless, had no qualms and was first in line to pet them.

Then we headed for the dolphins. It's so amazing to be able to get so close to them. The girls loved hanging over the edge to get the best view. With the girl's overflowing excitement, we nearly sprinted to the shark and coral reef exhibit...and then we sprinted thru it. I kept trying to get photographs of the girls and of the animals, but it was a struggle to get them to stay still even for a 2 second picture. They ran thru screaming, "Mom, look a ray! Look, a jelly fish! Look mom, NEMO!" Their mouths and feet ran in equal measure...and it was quite entertaining, despite being frustrating for the photographer attempting to document the day. :)

Tomorrow...the Shamu show BELIEVE and Abigail's first roller coaster....and more. Stay tuned!

We are back from our trip to San Antonio, TX!

Gone from Wednesday the 3rd to Sunday the 7th, I can tell you I've never been so happy to see my own bed. I am still fighting the runny nose and cough we all ended up with, but everyone else seems to be on the mend.

Here are just a few fun pictures from the long weekend...more to come with lots of stories to share.

About a month ago, Abigail's preschool music teacher asks her class if there is anyone who would like to sing in the graduation program. Guess who volunteers? If you chose, Abigail Martin, you would be correct! The only brave 4 yr old to volunteer.... Now, because our child has a nearly eidetic memory for music, her solo was memorized well before she even got the gig. Her song: Jesus Loves Me. Her part: 2nd verse What's great about children is that they have wonder and amazement and excitement for even the smallest things. Now, don't get me wrong, Abigail was thrilled to sing by herself...even in front of a crowd. But the best part of the solo, according to Abigail...was the MICROPHONE. She was gushing about being able to sing on a "real" stage (church alter) with a "real' microphone. Too cute! So here are just a few pictures of her glorious moments. Hopefully I will learn how to link video footage here, so you can actually hear it. Thanks Ouiser for the stills!

She could not have made us more proud! Parents stopped us all day to tell us that her sweet singing brought tears to their eyes. It did the same for ours. She did a fantastic job!

Check back next week for pictures of Sea World and the rest of our trip to San Antonio!